Despite wide ranging literature (e.g. Systems Theories) supporting the need for practitioner educational psychologists (EPs) to work with families as central to good practice, there is very limited evidence of the ways in which EPs involve families, or how EPs conceptualise their role in work with children’s families. This research set out to address this gap in evidence, and in doing so inform EP practice in this area. A small-scale study was conducted to explore EP practice in relation to work with families and the EPs’ perceptions of their role within this. Nine EPs from educational psychology services (EPSs) in four Local Authorities (LAs) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews that were then analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified: Pre-school work, school based work, EP role and context. Within these themes, barriers and facilitators to EP work with families were highlighted, and the EPs’ perceptions of their role explored. The findings highlight both the range of practice, and the variance between participants’ perceptions of the EP role with families. The impact of a traded model of service delivery was identified as limiting EP involvement with family systems and reinforcing a perception of the EP role being primarily school focused rather than child and family focused. A number of implications for both individual EPs and EP services were identified in considering the profession’s position in ensuring the needs of children and families are met within current service delivery models. The findings should provoke discussion for the EP community, in considering the profession’s role in the area of EP work with families.

中文翻译：

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跨越界限：教育心理学家与家庭合作的探索

尽管广泛的文献（例如系统理论）支持从业者教育心理学家 (EP) 需要与家庭合作作为良好实践的核心，但关于 EP 涉及家庭的方式或 EP 如何概念化他们在其中的作用的证据非常有限。与儿童家庭一起工作。这项研究旨在解决这一证据差距，并以此为该领域的 EP 实践提供信息。进行了一项小规模研究，以探索与家庭工作相关的 EP 实践以及 EP 对其在其中的作用的看法。来自四个地方当局 (LA) 的教育心理学服务 (EPS) 的九名 EP 使用半结构化访谈进行了访谈，然后使用归纳主题分析进行了分析。确定了四个总体主题：学前工作、校本工作、EP 角色和背景。在这些主题中，强调了 EP 与家庭一起工作的障碍和促进者，并探讨了 EP 对其角色的看法。调查结果强调了实践的范围，以及参与者对家庭成员对 EP 角色的看法之间的差异。服务提供交易模式的影响被确定为限制 EP 参与家庭系统，并强化了 EP 角色主要以学校为中心而不是以儿童和家庭为中心的看法。在考虑该专业在确保儿童和家庭的需求在当前的服务提供模式中得到满足方面的地位时，确定了对个人 EP 和 EP 服务的许多影响。调查结果应引起 EP 社区的讨论，考虑该专业在 EP 与家庭工作领域中的作用。